One problem which arises with known domestic fire grates in the combustion of logs is that a substantial fraction of the radiant heat from the combustion of the logs is directed towards the walls of the fireplace in which the fireplace is located and not into the area intended to be heated by the combusting logs.
It has previously been suggested in U.S. Pat. No. 4,069,808 to provide a C-shaped configuration of logs opening into the area to be heated, so that thermal radiation to that area is maximized, and an apparatus for holding such logs.
The apparatus described in this prior patent comprises an elongate device having spaced apart elongate parallel arms, one of which terminates in upwardly-directed parallel arms, and joined by spaced apart parallel bowed arms, which form a cradle for the logs. On each of the upwardly directed arms is slidably located an inwardly-directed horizontal arm extending parallel to the one elongate arm which has rotatably mounted to its free end a further arm extending perpendicular to the horizontal arm. The weight of the further arm bends the horizontal arms slightly about its sliding engagement with the upwardly-directed arm to lock the same in a desired location.
The prior art apparatus is cumbersome, provides an easily-dislodged manner of location of the horizontal arm with respect to the upwardly-directed arms, and is expensive to manufacture.